Ali Brown’s latest blog post is titled “Is Your Time Worth What You Think It Is?”. Ali says, “Time is the most important asset you have—and unlike money, once you’ve spent it, you can’t earn any more. That’s why it’s so important to make the most of your 24 hours, especially as a business owner. So, how can you become more productive and profitable, without working insane hours and sacrificing your personal life? Read on for a few steps on how to start managing your time like a successful entrepreneur”.  [...]

Ali Brown’s latest blog post is titled “Your Easy 3-Step Sales Funnel” (PART 3 of 3)”. Ali says, “If you misread that as “conversation”, then you’re right too. Sales today is more about having a conversation with your leads, versus the old way of shoving your offer in their face. (I like to think of it as the more human, dare I say feminine, angle of business that’s taken over. We’ve totally evolved.) For some of you with simple products, driving your peeps to buy is as simple as showing them the goods and giving them a simple description and a way to buy.... [...]

Ali Brown’s latest blog post is titled “Your Easy 3-Step Sales Funnel”. Ali says, “If you’re like most solo-preneurs who offer a basic service in your business, you likely got started by just pounding the pavement to hustle up some clients. Then, you began to receive word-of-mouth referrals. And then, perhaps you put up a website and began using email and social media to promote your services. While these methods can surely work, there are probably nights you wake up at 2 a.m. worrying, “Where are my next clients/customers coming from?” Putting together a sales funnel will... [...]

Ali Brown’s latest blog post is titled “Plan for Profits with a Profit Calendar”. Ali says, “I hear it from almost 90% of my clients… “Ali, I’m working 10-to-12-hour days to run my business. My husband and kids hardly see me, and I’m starting to burn out. What am I doing wrong?” When I dig a little further, I usually find that the sense of overwhelm is coming from the same source: These people haven’t identified their most profitable projects, and placed those tasks ABOVE everything else in their business priority list. In other words, they haven’t created... [...]

Ali Brown’s latest blog post is titled “8 Ways to Turn Your Passion into Profits”. Ali says, “As an entrepreneur, one of your most important duties is keeping your mind open to fresh moneymaking ideas. Holding regular brainstorm sessions can uncover fresh spins on our original ideas, and keep the passion alive—not only within ourselves, but for our customers and clients as well. But, if you want to have an eye-opening brainstorm session, it helps to be aware of the scope of ALL your possibilities, especially when it comes to new business ideas. Otherwise it’s easy to... [...]

Ali Brown’s latest blog post is titled “11 Quick (and Good) Content Ideas for Your Ezine or Blog”. Ali says, “Publishing articles, especially via an ezine or blog, is the ideal opportunity to showcase your business. By sharing your knowledge and expertise, you build credibility as an expert, while spreading the word about your services and products. While I’m sure that sometimes you have dozens of content ideas, I bet other times you find yourself staring at a blank computer screen, grumbling that it’s publishing time again. Well, have no fear! Here are 11 quick (and... [...]

Ali Brown’s latest blog post is titled “7 Ways to Get the Most Out of Publishing an Ezine”. Ali says, “Recent studies confirm that consumers and business owners alike still prefer email marketing as the #1 way of communicating about new products and services. But for the most part, only retail chains or “daily deal” type sites can get away with straight promotional emails. For small business owners and solo-preneurs like us, the ezine rules. What’s an ezine? Well, if you’re reading this article in my Spotlight then you’re reading one! An ezine delivers a mix of... [...]

Ali Brown’s latest blog post is titled “8 Ways to Help Your Business When Sales Are Slow During the Holidays”. Ali says, “As we get deeper into December, many business owners slow down to a crawl. But if you ask me, the holidays open up some quality time to evaluate your business and set yourself up for a successful first quarter. Here are 8 things you can do to help your business during this slow period. Don’t worry—if you decide to do just one so you can focus on your family this year, you’ll still be one step ahead when you ring in 2013. Evaluate your virtual... [...]

Ali Brown’s latest blog post is titled “Get Your Practice Started with Beta Clients”. Ali says, “In my Elevate online business training program, one strategy I often recommend is to take on a Beta Client—this is a practice client you can take on pro bono, or for a small fee. The point of a Beta Client is to introduce your services out in the real world, and generate word-of-mouth referrals. Taking on a Beta Client might not be for everyone, but if you’re just starting out, it can be a great way to get the word out about your business fast. And implementing this strategy... [...]